Typewriting-machine



L. F. MESSENGER.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 17, 1919. RENEWED MAY 8,1920.

1,363,197. I Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

L. F. MESSENGER.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

APPLICAFION FILED JULY 17, 1919. RENEWED MAY 8,1920.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Wye/War:

L. F. MESSENGER.

,TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION rlL E ED MAY 8,1920. 1,363,197. Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

3 SHEET SSSSSSS 3.

mx exrfo/a- UNITED SATES earanr 0mm.

LEE F. MESSENGER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD TYPE- WRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TYPEWRITING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patent d D 21 1920 Application filed July 17, 1919, Serial No. 311,517. Renewed May 8, 1920. Serial No. 379,974.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, LEE F. MESSENGER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Typewriting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

'This invention relates to typewriting machines of the class in which a continuous succession of work-sheets or-forms may be fed across the printing line, either as elements of a fan-fold web, or as .superposed plies of separate webs, which may be led to and around the revoluble platen, the platen being displaceable to straighten up the sheets, to permit the drawing back of the carbons interleaved therewith, as illustrated and described in the patent to Wernery and Smith, No. 1,132,055, dated March 16, 1915.

In my co-pending application, No. 309,67 7 filed July 9, 1919, the revoluble platen is made in sections, that is, it is a so-called split platen, one section being revoluble independently of the other, so that two sets of superposed webs may be carried, side by side, in the machine, and so that either may be typed at will. The present invention is in the nature of an improvement upon the machine disclosed in said co-pending application.

One of the features of the present invention is the provision of means whereby either platen section may be lifted to permit the straightening out of the corresponding web-set, while the other platen section remains stationary' Another feature relates to the means whereby either platen section may be line-spaced at will. To this end, the left-hand platen section is connected by atrain of gearing to the usual line-space lever upon the carriage, this train of gearing enabling the platen to remain connected to the usual ratchet-wheel, While the platen is elevated. According to the present improvements, the right-hand section is provided with independent linespacing mechanism, which is connected by its own train of gearing to said right-hand platen section.

Another feature of the resent improvement is the provision of individual blades for the respective platen sections, said blades being mounted upon the platen-shifting frames in which said platen sections are mounted, so that the blades swing up and down with the platen sections. Said shiftlng frames are mounted side by side upon the carriage, and each has a latch whereby it is held down in working position, so that, upon releasing either latch, the desired platen section may be swung up.

Another feature of my invention is the provision of separate carbon-carriers, one for each platen section, so that'the carbons interleaved with one set of webs may be drawn back, while those interleaved with another set are firmly held by their feeding means.

The invention is illustrated in connection With two sets of fan-fold webs, although, of course, either set may consist of superposed detached plies delivered from separate spools, if desired.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a top view of parts.of a typewriting machine, illustrating my invention as applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof, parts being indicated in section.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side View, showing, in full lines, one of the platen sections in its normal position, and, in broken lines, the other platen section in a position to which it may be shifted to re-adjust the work-sheet and carbon-sheets interleaved therewith.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

In the particular embodiment of my invention, herein disclosed, 20 represents a part of a letter-spacing carriage of an Underwood typewriter, although it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to a typewriter of any particular make. The letter-spacing carriage is mounted for endwise movement in the usual manner along a front bar or track rail (not shown) and a rear bar or track rail 21 secured to the machine frame 21*.

Instead of the usual single platen, I mount in the letter-spacing carriage 20 two of the parts platen sections 22, 23, each of which is journaled within a separate shifting frame com prising end supporting members 24, pivotally .connected at their forward ends to a cross-bar 25, fixedly mounted in the letterspacing'carriage 20. The end supports 24 of each s ifting frame are united by a crossbar or plate 26, which inclines upwardly and rearwardly from a line materially above the printing line of its respective platen section, thus constituting a paper-table or guide for I the typed portions of the work-sheets. Each of the platen sections 22, 23 is fixedly mounted upon a shaft 27 journaled 1n the end supor support 30 carried by the cross-bar 31 of the letter-spacing carriage. Each latch 28 normally en ages a laterally projecting pin 32 carried y one of the end supports 24 of the corresponding shifting frame. The end supports 24 of each platen-shifting frame May be provided with legs or stops 33, to engage with the shafts 29, and thus provide means for determining the normal positions of said frames.

Each of the latches. 28 is normally urged to its effective position by a spring 34 coiled about its respective shaft 29 and secured at one end to the letter-spacing carriage and at its other end to a. collar 35 fixed to the corresponding shaft 29. Each latch may also be extended at one end to form an operating handle or thumb-piece 36 and may be provided at its other end with an extension or toe 37 to limit its movement under the influence of its sprin 34 when free from the associated pin 32. 33y pressing rearwardly upon one of the handles or thumb-pieces 36, the latch, controlled thereby, may'be moved clear from its pin 32, after which the corresponding shifting frame may be rotated about the bar 25 to the position illustrated in broken lines in Fig. 3, for a purpose which will hereinafter be explained.

Each platen section is provided with means for line-spacin the same independently of the other. is a means for linespacing the. left-hand platen section 22, the line-spacing lever 38, ratchet wheel 39, detent 40, and associated parts of the linespacing mechanism, in common use on the Underwood typewriter, may be employed. The ratchet wheel 39, however, is not directly connected to the shaft 27 of the platen section, but, like that shown in the aforesaid patent to Wernery and Smith, is fixedly secured to a short shaft 41 mounted in the letter-spacing carriage and having secured thereto a gear 42 in meshing relation with fixedly secured to a short shaft 49 jour-' naled in the letter-spacing carriage and having secured thereto a gear 50 in mesh with a pinion 51 journaled on the cross-bar 25. The pinion 51 is also in mesh with a gear 52 secured to the shaft 27 of the platen section 23. A knob or hand-wheel 53 of the usual type may also be securedto the shaft 49. L

It will be ap arent that with line-spacing mechanism of t e above-described type, each platen section may be line-spaced independently of the other, and that the driving relation between each of the platen sections and its line-spacing mechanism will be main-- tained when the platen section is shifted to the position indicated in broken lines in ach of the platen sections may be provided with independently rotatable front and rear feed rollers 54 and 55. Each platen section may also be provided with .an end gage 56, which may be adjustably secured by means of a set screw 57 to a bar 58 extending rearwardly and upwardly from the paper-table 26. Each of said platen sections and associatedparts of the machine may be provided with marginal gages and other accessory attachments such as are commonly found in typewriters of the prior art.

As a means for supporting the carboncarriersand for guiding webs of forms or work-sheets to the platen sections, there is provided a frame comprising rearwardly extending track sections 59 and cross-bars 60, 61. This frame is attached to and supported at its forward end by the cross-bar 31 of the letter-spacing carriage 20, and is provided at its rearward end with rollers 62 adapted to run on a cross-bar or trackway 63 mounted on the machine frame 21. The framework 59, 60, 61 is, therefore, capable of moving and is caused to move from side to side relatively to the machine frame in accordance with the letter-spacing movements of the typewriter carriage.

For each of the platen sections, there is provided a carbon-carrier 64 mounted on grooved rollers 65, so as to be freely mov-' able toward and away from the respective %laten sections along the track-bars 59. ach of the carbon-carriers is provided with a set of carbon-attaching fingers 66, to

ent elevations by being secured at their ends to stepped mounting elements 67, the alter.-

nate fingers being secured so as to extend inwardly from opposite sides of the carrier, so as to provide for interleaving carbonsheets from the opposite margins of a fanfold web. Each carbon-carrier may also be provided with a forwardly-extending handle or thumb-piece 68, by which the carboncarrier may move back to draw the carbonsheets into unused portions of the web sets in a manner to be hereinafter described. Carbon-carriers .of the type herein illustrated and briefly described are more fully disclosed in the patent to Benjamin P. Fortin,No. 1,237,319, dated August 21, 1917.

As a means for facilitating the introduction of new sets of webs into the machine, each platen. section may be provided with a deflector plate 69 of the usual form which may be operated by a mechanism controlled by a handle 70, the said deflector plate and its operating mechanism being more fully illustrated and described in the patent to Jesse A. B. Smith, No. 1,280,886, dated October 8, 1918. As in that patent, the upper portion of the deflector plate 69 also constitutes a blade 71 for severing typed forms. In setting up Work on the machine, the

forms or work-sheets may be fed from the rear of the machine over the bar 60 to the carbon-carriers 64; in a continuous succession either in the form of separate web plies or inthe form of manifold webs, such as are illustrated at 72, Fig. 4. After interleaving carbon sheets with the plies of the web sets, the webs will be advanced forwardly to and over the shafts 29 and beneath the platen sections to a point beyond the feeding rollers, the platen sectionsbeing at the time in theirshifted positions, as illustrated in broken lines in Fig. 3. The platen sections will then be returned to their normal positions as illustrated in full lines in Fig. 3, after which, by manipulation of the handles 70, the deflector plates 69 may be shifted forwardly and downwardly over the leading edges of the web sets which may then be advanced by their line-spacing mechanisms to bring the first line of each web set, on which typin is to be done, in a position to register wit Each set of webs may be set up on the machine in the above-described manner independently of the other.

It will be apparent that work-sheets or forms fed to either platen section may be independently line-spaced and typed, and that. whenever the typing of a set of forms 1,ses,197

the printing line.-

of the web set fed to either section has been completed and it is desired to remove the same from the machine, the operative may release the corresponding shifting frame vfrom 1ts latch, by pressing back on' the i proper thumb-piece 36, and then rotate the said platen section to the position illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, after which the work-sheets may be straightened out and pulled forward'to any desired position, as determined by the setting of the gage 56. Vvhile finally holding their leading edges in this position, the cor-responding interleaved carbon sheets may be drawn back to unused portions of the web set, by merely pressing backwardly on the handle or thumb-piece 68, after which the platen may bereturned to its normal position, as indicated in full lines in Fig. 3, and the typed forms severed by tearing along the upper sharpened surface of the blade 71.

independently upon different web sets, each of which may be independently line-spaced and each of which may be freed from the paper-feeding means, so as to readily reposition the sheets and adjust the corresponding carbons Without releasing the other web set from its feeding means.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the imlpIrovements may be used without others. aving thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. In a typewriter, in combination, a letter-spacing carriage, a plurality of platen sections therefor, means for so mounting said platen sections in said carriage as to be capable of having independent line-spacing movements imparted thereto, and means to coiiperate with said platen sections for feeding Work-sheets across a printing-line, the said platen-mounting means including means for shifting one of said platen sections, independently of another of said sections, to a position free from parts of its feeding means, so as to permit a free adjustment of work-sheets fed to the shifted platen section, without releasing sheets fed to said other platen section.

2. In a typewriter, in combination, a letter-spacing carriage, a plurality of platen sections therefor, means for so mounting said platen sections in said carriage as to be capable of having independent line-spacing movements imparted thereto, and means to coiiperate with said platen sections for feeding work-sheets across a printing line, said platen-mounting means including means for shifting any one of said platen sections, independently of any of the other of said-sections, to a position free from parts of its respective feeding means, so that workto any other of said platen sections. 3. In a typewriter, in combination, a letter-spacing carriage, aplurality-of platen sections therefor, means for mounting said' platen sections 1n $21,161 carriage, so as to be capableof having independent line-spacing movements imparted thereto, independent line-spacing mechanism for each of said platen sections, and means in cooperative relation with said platen sections for feeding work-sheets across a printing line, said said platensections in said carriage iisto be independently rotatable, means tolcooperate 'with said platen sections for'feedingjworksheets across a printing line, said platenso as to permit free adjustment-of worksheets fed to any platen section, without releasing sheets fed to any other of'said platen 1 sections, separate line-spacingmechanisms mounted in said letter-spacing carriage, and

platen-mounting means including means for \means for efiecting independent driving conshifting one of said platen sections, independently of another of said sections, to a position free from its feeding means, so as to permit a free adjustment of work-sheets fed to the shifted: platen section, without releasing sheets fed to said other platen section.

4. In a typewriter, in combination, a letter-spacing carriage, a plurality of platen sections therefor, means for so mounting said platen sections in said carriage as to be ca- 'pable of having independent line-spacing movements imparted thereto, independent line-spacing mechanism for each of said platen sections, and means incooperative relation' with said platen sections for feeding work-sheets across a printing line, said platen-mounting means including means for shifting any one of said platen sections, independently of any other of said sections, to a positionfree from itsfeeding-means, so that work-sheets fed to any platen section may be freely adjusted without releasing sheets fed to any other of said platen-sections.

5. In a typewritenin combination, a let- I ter-spacing carriage, a plurality of platen sections therefor, means for so mounting said platen sections in said carriage as to be .independently rotatable, means to cooperate with said platen sections for'feeding worksheets across a printing line, said platenmounting means including means for shifting one of said platen sections, independentl of another of said platen sections, to a posltion free from parts of said feeding means,

so as to permit free adjustment of worksheets fed to' said shifted platen section,

without releasing sheets fed to said other section, line-spacing mechanism mounted in said letter-spacing carriage, means foreffecting a driving connection between said line-spacing mechanism and one of said platen sections, and for maintaining said connection throughout the shifting 'of said section away from parts of its feeding means, and separate line-spacing mechanism for the other platen section.

6. In a typ ewriter,-in combination, a letter-spacing carriage, a plurality of platen sections therefor, means for so mounting nections between said line-spacing mechanisms and the respective platen sections,

said connections benig such as to maintain a; [driving relation throughout the'shifting of any of said platen sections away from parts of said feeding means.

, I 7. In a typewriter, in combination, a'pl urality of separately rotatable platen sections,

a letter-spacing carriage therefor, means in' cooperative relation with said platen sections for feeding work-sheets across a rintmg'line, means for disabling the e ective feeding relation between one of said platen sections and parts of said feeding means, 1n-

dependently of any other of said sections,

so as to free the sheets fed thereby, and a movably mounted carbon-carrier for said platen section, whereby a plurality of worksheets and one or more'interleaved carbon sheets may be released from the feeding means of that platen section, and adjusted with respect thereto, without releasing sheets thereby, and a separately movable carbon carrier for each of said platen sections, whereby a plurality of work-sheets and one or more interleaved carbon sheets may be released from the feeding means of any one of said platensections, and adjusted with respect thereto, without releasing sheets fed' to any other of said platen sections.v

9. In a typewriter, in combination, a letter-spacing carnage, a plurality of platen sections therefor, means for so mounting .said platen sections in said carriage as to be capable of having independent line-spaclng movements imparted thereto, means-in cooperative relation with said platen sections for feeding work-sheets across a printmg line, the said laten-mounting means including means or shifting one of said platen sections, independentl of another of said sections, to a position ree from parts of its feeding means, and a movably mount-' ed carbon-carrier forsaid P platen section, whereby a plurality of work-sheets and one or more interleaved carbon sheets may be released from the feeding means of that platen section, and adjusted with respect thereto, independently of sheets fed to said other platensection.

10. In atypewriter, in combination, a letter-spacing carriage, a plurality of platen sections therefor, means for so mounting said platen sections in said carriage as to be capable of having independent line-spacing movements imparted thereto, means in cooperative relation with saidplaten sections for feeding work-sheets across a printing line, said platen-mounting means including means for shifting any one of said platen sections to a position free from parts of its feeding means, and a separately movable carbon-carrier for each-of said platen sections, whereby a plurality of work-sheets and one or more interleaved carbons sheets may be released from the feeding means of any of said platen sections, and ad-' justed with respect thereto, independently of sheets fed to sections.

11. In a typewriter, in combination, a let;

ter-spacing carriage, a plurality of platen sections therefor, means for so mounting said platen sections in said carriage as to be capable of having independent line-spacing movements imparted thereto, means to cooperate with said platen sections for feedin work-sheetsacross a printing line, the said platen mounting means including means for shifting any one of said platen sections, independently of any other of said sections, to a position free from parts of its feeding means, so that work-sheets fed to any platen section may be freely adjusted, without releasing sheets fed to any other of said platen sections, and a separate end gage for each of said platen sections, for determining lengthwise adjustment of sheets fed to each section, independently of the other.

12. In a typewriter, in combination, a letter-spacing carriage, a plurality of separately rotatable platen sections mounted therein, means for independently feeding and linespacing work-sheets across the printing lines of the respective platen sections, a separate movably mounted deflector plate for and its guid ng'and feeding means, so as to each platen section, and means for independently adjusting the different deflector plates to facilitate the independent setting up of work-sheets on each of said sections.

13. In a typewriter, in combination, a letter-spacing carriage, a plurality of separately rotatable platen sections mounted therein, means for independently feeding and line-spacing work-sheets across the any other of said platen printing lines of the respective platen sections, a separate movably mounted deflector plate for each platen section, said lates normally lying parallel with and shghtly separated from their respective platen secover the leading edges of theplies of a web Y set to facilitate the independent insertion of a web set between each deflector plate and its. res ective platen section. I

14. n a typewriter, in combination, a'letter-spacing carriage, a platen-section mounted therein, a second platen-section mounted therein, means-associated with each of said platen-sections for independently guiding and feeding work-sheets with respect thereto,

and means for varying the relative positions 35 between thefirst-mentioned platen-section and parts of its guiding and feeding means,

independently of the relation between the second-mentioned platen-section and its guiding andfeeding means, soas to ease the sheets fed to the first-mentioned platen-section, andlthus permit one or more to be shifted relatively to the others.

15. In a typewriter, in combination, a letter-spacing carriage, ,two platen-sections mounted therein, means associated with each ofsaid platen-sections for independently guiding and feeding a set of work-sheets with respect thereto, and means for varying the relative positions between each of said platen-sections and parts of its guiding and feeding means,-independently of the relation between the other platen-section and its guiding and feeding means, so as to be capable ofeasing the sheets fed to either platensection independently of those fed to the other, and thus ermlt one or more of either set to be'shifte relatively to the others of the same set.

16. In a typewriter, in combination, a letter-spacing carriage, a platen-section mounted therein, a second platen-section mounted therein, means associated with each of said platen-sections for independently guiding and feeding a set of work-sheets and one or more interleaved carbon-sheets relatively thereto, means for varying the relative positions between the first-mentioned platensebtion and parts of its guiding and feeding means, independently of the relation between the second-mentioned platen-section ease the sheets fed to the first-mentioned platen-section, and thus permlt the interleaved carbon-sheet or sheets to be retracted relatively to the work-sheets,' and a carbonter-spacing carriage, two platen-sections mounted therein, means associated with each of said. platen-sections for independently guiding and feeding a setof work-sheets and one or more interleaved carbon-sheets relatively thereto, means for varying the relative positions between each of said latensections and parts of its guiding and ceding means, independently of the relation between the other platen-section and its guiding and feeding means, so as to be capable of easing the sheets fed to either platen-section, independently of those fed to the other, and thus permit the interleaved carbon-sheet or sheets of either set to be retracted relatively to the work-sheets, and a plurality of carbon-shifters, one for each platen-section, for retracting the carbon-sheet or sheets interleaved between each set of work-sheets independently of the others.

' 18. In a typewriter, in combination, a letter-spacing carriage, a platen-sectlon mounted therein, a second platen-sectlon mounted therein, means associated with each of said platen-sections for guiding and feeding a set of work-sheets and one or more integleaved carbon-sheets in a tortuous. path thereabout, and means for varying the relative possuons between the first-mentioned platen-section and parts of its guiding'and fee ing means, independently of the relation between the second-mentioned platen-section and its guiding and feedingmeans, so as to allow the sheets fed to the first-mentioned platensection to be straightened out suiiiciently to permit the interleaved carbon-sheetor sheets, to be retracted relatively to the worksheets when thus permitted;

19. In a typewriter, in combination, a letter-spacing, carriage, two platen-sections mounted therein, means associated with each of said platen-sections for independently guiding and, feeding a'set of worksheets and one or more interleaved carbon-sheets in a tortuous path thereabout, means for varying the relative positions between each of said platen-sections andparts of its guiding and feeding means independently of the relations 20. In a typewriter, in combination, a letter-spacing carriage, a plurality of independently-rotatable platen-sections mounted therein, means for guiding and feeding sets 7 of superposed work-sheets relatively to the respective platen-sections, said platen-sections being shiftable, each independently of the other, with respect to parts of said feeding and guiding means, so as to ease the sheets fed to either platen-section, and thus permit one or more of a set to be shifted relatively to others of the same set, linespacing mechanisms mounted in said letterspacing carriage, one for each of said Q platen-sections, and means for effecting independent driving connections between said line-spacing mechanisms and their respective platen-sections, said connections being such as to maintain the driving relation throughout the shifting of either or both said platen-sections.

21. In a typewriter, in combination, a let:

ter-spacing carriage, a plurality of independently-rotatable platen-sections mounted therein, means to cooperate therewith to feed work-sheets and one or more interleaved carbon-sheets around each of said platensections, and a plurality of devices, one for each of said platen-sections, for eifecting independent shifting of the carbon-sheets relatively to the work-sheets fed to the platensections, said platen-sections being displaceable, each independently of the other, to positions such as to ease said sheets to permit Q such shifting.

22. In a typewriter, in combination, a letter-spacing carriage, a platen-section mounted therein, a second platen-section mounted therein, means associated with each of said platen-sections for independently guiding superposed webs of worksheets andone or more mterleaved carbon-sheets into the machine and' around said platen-sections, so

that the normal course of said sheets is tortuous, and means for displacing one of said platen-sections independently of the other,

vso as to allow the sheets fed thereto to be straightened out to a suflicient extent to permit the interleaved carbon-sheet or sheets to be shifted relatively to the work-sheets;

23. In a typewriter, in combination, a letter-spacing carriage, a plurality of independently-rotatable platen-sections finounted, end to end, therein, means for separately guiding superposed webs of work-sheets and interleaved carbon-sheets into the machine and around s'aidlaten-sections, so that the normal courses 0 said sheets are tortuous, and means for displacing .said platen-sections, each independently of the other, so as .to allow the sheets fed thereto to be'straight- .ened out to a sufiicient extent to permit the interleaved carbon-sheets to be shifted relatively-to the work-sheets.

24. In a typewriter, in combination, alet- I tor-spacing carriage comprising a laterallyextending supporting bar, a pair of inde-- pendentlyerotatable. platen-sections mounted, end to end, in said carriage, the mount-- 'ings for said platen-sections comprising independently-shiftable platen frames disposed in end-to-end relation along said bar,

and each having a swinging connection therewith, and line-spacing mechanisms, one for each of said platen-sections, each of said mechanisms comprising a gear connected with one of said platen-sections and eccentric with the axis thereof, a gear mounted in said carriage, and a connecting gear journaled on said supporting bar, whereby each line-spacing mechanism may independently operate its respective platen-section, and 10 each remain in cooperative relation therewith during the shifting thereof in said carriage.

LEE F. MESSENGER.

\Vitnesses B. N. RANDALL, E. A. GLASSFORD. 

